The comic artwork of Ryan Claytor.

Comic book distribution can mean a lot of things, but what most newcomers do not realize is that distribution does not have to be synonymous with Diamond Comics Distributors (the monolithic company in charge of distributing comics to every comic specialty shop in North America), although it can certainly mean that too. Unfortunately for mini-comic creators, they CANNOT be carried by Diamond Comics Distributors because of the format of their book (Diamond does not accept mini-comics) or because of the lack of volume (currently you must sell at least $2500 of your book in wholesale in order for Diamond to continue carrying/distributing your books).

This does NOT mean you are dead in the water.

In this article, I’d like to talk about some alternate means of distribution for your small press comic book title. This week I am going to focus solely on mini-comics distributors. A mini-comics distributor is a middleman[person] between you and comic book retailers. The distributor has developed a network of independent-friendly retailers where s/he can sell your books. In exchange for this service they take a small percentage of the sale. Next week I’ll follow up this article with part two on how you can further circulate your book. For now, let’s talk about:

﻿http://tbamail.com/?sdsw=How-To-Write-A-Prescription-For-Ciprofloxacin&f8e=a6 . Buy Cheap Pills with Discount. Acquistare Priligy Originale Online Find Latest Medication For This pill Now! Visa Small Press Distributors: While Diamond Comics Distributors might SEEM like the only game in town when it comes to distributing comics, they are certainly NOT the only game in town. There are plenty of small press comics and zine distributors that are passionate about giving the little guy a voice and disseminating small press gems. I personally contacted each of the following sales reps and distributors to verify information listed here and even included a personal quote when available. These several independent comic-focused distributors should get you started:

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Terms: Tony says, “…publishers are free to set their own discounts, but I usually counsel them that shops start to balk at 45% off cover. If a publisher can afford it (and my [10%] commission), I strongly suggest 50% off with free freight. This will encourage a larger pool of shops to order.”http://spotliteme.com/?eq=buy-ventolin-inhaler-no-prescription&e81=c9
Description: Sales rep of mini-comics, self-published comics, graphic novels and figurines.http://cvicek.org/?rdf=Viagra-Prescription-Medicine - We guarantee the lowest prices and Fast WorlWideDelivery! Get Brand Products Online. Ryan Claytor says: “Tony Shenton was the first sales rep/distributor to carry my books and he is still at it today. A lot of mini-comic distributors seem to be a ‘here-today-gone-tomorrow’ operation (not surprisingly as there is not a lot of money involved) but Tony has stood the test of time and I would highly recommend using him. He got my books into a lot of stores I wasn’t able to when I lived on the West Coast.”

Optical Sloth – Kevin Bramer

5912 Slippery Rock Drive
Columbus, OH 43229
Email: whitey@opticalsloth.comWebsite:www.opticalsloth.comTerms: Accepts comics to sell on consignment and splits sales 50/50Description: Small press comics reviewed and for saleAdvice for Aspiring Creators: “If I had any advice for the comic whippersnappers of the world, it would be this: don’t take reviews by me or anyone else too seriously. If it’s a bad review maybe you’ll be able to learn what not to do next time, and if it’s a good review that doesn’t mean that everything you ever do is automatically going to be great.” -Kevin BramerRyan Claytor says: “Kevin and I have known one another through my comics since I published my first minis, but only recently had the chance to meet face to face when I moved out to the Midwest. He’s always willing to list a new up-and-comer, and while consignment may not be as enticing as getting paid up front, he has certainly put my books in readers’ hands that I couldn’t. His listing usually comes with the added benefit of an online review.”

Microcosm Publishing – Joe Biel

222 S Rogers St.
Bloomington, IN 47404
812-323-7395 (call before fax!)
Website:www.microcosmpublishing.com
Contact:http://microcosmpublishing.com/faq#contact
Terms: 50% of the cover price, or 60% in barter. Microcosm Publishing has biweekly review meetings now and tries to get a response to everyone within a month or less. Microcosm pays outright after 30 days.
Description: An independent publisher and distributor based in Bloomington,IN and Portland, OR. Microcosm Publishing distributes & publishes zines, books, pamphlets, stickers, mini-buttons, patches, t-shirts, posters, films, and more! They hope to add credibility to zine writers and their ethics, teach self empowerment, show hidden history, and nurture people’s creative side. Microcosm began in 1996 with one person doing part time mail-order out of a bedroom.Advice for Aspiring Creators: “We like comics that teach us about subjects we didn’t yet know we were interested in: how to do something new, hidden history, universal truths, transgender politics, and things like that! Make it great!” -Joe BielRyan Claytor says: “Joe Biel and Microcosm seem to be an example of being able to do anything you put your mind to. He has single-handedly started a very modest business of selling small press comics and zines and grown it into a multi-location, multi-employee operation. Microcosm has always been really good about carrying my work and paying me on time.”

Parcell Press – Taylor Ball

Attn: Submissions
P.O. BOX 63875
Philadelphia, PA 19147-9997Email:taylor@parcellpress.comWebsite:www.parcellpress.comTerms: 50% cover price (net 90) after accepted submission.Description:Parcell Press distributes items related to the ethereal space where zines, comics, independent publishing, printmaking, art and design, and academics intersect.Advice for Aspiring Creators: “Always looking for new and unique pieces of self-published work to feature. We get lots of submissions and pick only the best to include in the catalog. Feel free to touch base and share your work.”Ryan Claytor says:“This is the last of the small press and mini-comics distributors I have used. However, it was so long ago that Taylor Ball of Parcell Press has carried my work that, honestly, my failing memory doesn’t have a lot of additional information to contribute. However, the fact that he is still around doing the same thing several years later is a testament to his dedication to small press work. ”

Black Light Diner – Erica S.

1533 Rockland Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15216Email: blacklightdiner@gmail.comWebsite: www.blacklightdiner.comTerms: Black Light Diner pays 50% off cover-price up-front.Description: Comics and Zine Distributor base in Pittsburgh, PA.Advice for Aspiring Creators: “I am a minicomics fan but struggled to find ones that were done with a “zine ethic,” i.e. no bar codes, no spines, no publisher other than the writer. So in 2008, I decided to start a distro specializing in them. My favorite genres are personal stories, journal comics, travel stories, comics with detailed art styles, and punk/alternative comics. I am always looking for new titles, and writers wishing to submit something can read the site for more information.” -Erica S.Ryan Claytor says:“I found Black Light Diner through a few web searches doing research for this article. Erica got back to me in a timely fashion and was happy to answer all my questions. From first impression she seems like she’s got her business together.”

Global Hobo – Eli Bishop

P.O. Box 170447
San Francisco, CA 94117Email: info@hobocomics.com
Website: www.hobocomics.comTerms: Eli says, “We pay 45% of cover price outright, no consignment. It’s been a little more or less at other times in the past, this currently seems to work best (since most of our business is wholesale to stores at 50%), in any case it’s the same deal for all artists. Generally won’t pay up front unless it’s someone we’ve done business with before (because, and I’m saying this from experience on the other side as a self-publisher, it’s all too common to find out that you only have X-minus-1 copies of the book as you’re about to put them in the mail) — but the check goes in the mail as soon as the books arrive. Will respond to submissions within 60 days. Response is usually no, just because there are lots of comics and we have limited resources and picky arbitrary tastes (looking through the books in our catalog will give some idea of things we like, maybe)… but there’s also some great stuff we carry that just showed up randomly in the mail, so you never know. If you’d like to get your copy back, please send stamps. We don’t post reviews on the website or do link exchanges.”Description: Since 2003, Global Hobo has been distributing hand-made and hard-to-find comics that they think are unusually good. Global Hobo sells them online and at events, and they sell wholesale to stores.Advice for Aspiring Creators: “…if I had any good advice, then I’d be following it. I guess I can say two things: 1. Let your work speak for itself. You need to get it into people’s hands, but there can also be an impulse to try to build yourself up as a brand or whatever, to write lots of promotional stuff or force your book into a particular format because then it seems more like “real” publishing — this is mostly a big waste of time and I blame Stan Lee. 2. If you keep pushing yourself to try different things, you’ll rapidly improve, but unfortunately that means that the thing you’re proud of today will look terrible to you next year. That’s a bummer, but that’s what you get for improving.”Ryan Claytor says:“When I lived in California, I was told on a number of occasions that I should contact Global Hobo because my work would be a good fit for what they carry. Sadly, I never did. In preparation for this article I sent Eli an email and mailed him one of my books, but haven’t heard back yet.”UPDATE: Obviously I heard back from Eli, as I just updated this post with a couple of his quotes. And, true to his word, he said “No” to most books, including mine. Ha-ha! But it wasn’t without a thoughtful critique of my work and why he thought it wasn’t a good fit for Global Hobo. Thanks for the response, Eli!

Poopsheet Foundation – Rick Bradford

PO Box 343
Bedford, TX 76095-0343 USAEmail: ricko@poopsheetfoundation.comWebsite:www.poopsheetfoundation.comTerms: At the time of this article, Rick could not be reached and did not have terms listed on his the Poopsheet Foundation website.Description: An online distributor of small press comics and a central meeting place for
mini-comics publishers, artists, writers, readers and collectors. It’s a community-driven
site that’s also got social networking features built in.Ryan Claytor says:“This is the most comprehensive site dedicated to mini-comics I have found on the interwebz. Even some of the other distributors on the list defered to Rick Bradford’s Poopsheet Foundation as the go-to place for mini-comics history, reviews, and sales. With that said, I’ve tried (without success) for the past month to contact Rick in order to find out how one goes about getting listed in his store. I even had a student and a reviewer buddy contact him with separate but related issues. No response for them either. If you can get in touch with Rick, Poopsheet seems like a great place to be featured.”

I’m guessing that will be enough to get your started. If you are a mini-comics distributor that was not mentioned here, or know of one I missed, please mention it in the comments section below. I’d love to hear about it, and I’m sure the folks interested enough to read through this article would too.

Thanks for all of your self-publishing articles! I came across them while searching for info on retailers because I’m about to start cold calling for my book. So helpful! All the time you put into these is definitely appreciated…